Textile art

The house has a massive stairwell that I have been struggling to decorate since we moved in. The wall on the landing goes up 12-15 feet? So I have been on the hunt for a very large piece of art or something to decorate this huge white space. It has been exhausting but I think I finally found a solution. For a while I was considering buying a museum banner from this website.

www.betterwall.com

At 7 feet tall a banner would fit the space well but the price was not right.

So here is my solution and project. The main wall will become an accent wall and I will make "art" by stretching several yards of printed fabric over a diy wood frame. Ikea had some decent fabrics but none that I wanted to see on a large scale. I looked around and decided on a pattern that is available from Marimekko. I have seen their stuff at crate and barrel in the form of bedding, table linens, and shower curtains, and I like their patterns. They are visually interesting without being too busy.

This is what I bought:




Upholstery fabric is not cheap but I only needed 2 yards to make a covering 4 feet wide x 6 feet tall. Total so far=$80

Now I am trying to find a paint color that is appropriate for the wall. I wanted to get a muted blue since ALL of the rooms in our house are gray or beige. I am sick of the neutral colors in our house. However, I can't find a blue that I like or a blue that is suitable for an area with no natural light whatsoever. I'm going to buy a sample of one more blue (I have bought about 6 blues already) and a quart of a silver metallic paint. I think the metallic could brighten the wall--but it's not a large leap from neutrals. I don't want the space to feel like a cave. Brian says I should leave the side walls and the connecting bedroom hallway white. I see his point--it will be a huge pain in the ass because most of it has to be done on a 10 foot ladder. I am undecided on that point.

This is the best picture I have of the space. It is from when we moved in.




The landings were floored in the summer of 09', Brian installed a spotlight and I picked up an Ernst Haeckel jellyfish print from zgallerie before they closed all of their east coast stores. Eventually the carpeting on the steps will be changed but not anytime soon.






If I can find a good color for that back wall the project should be done within 2 weeks!